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1st Battalion, Border Regiment
In 1939 the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment, left their Aldershot barracks for France as part of the British Expeditionary Force. The 1st Borders played a part in the desperate rearguard action towards Dunkirk in May 1940. After Dunkirk, 1st Battalion Border were converted to glider-borne troops. They landed in Sicily in July 1943, although many gliders had crashed into the sea. The heavily depleted battalion was moved back to North Africa later in July, leaving the Battalion's equipment behind when they were evacuated from Sicily. Reinforced, the 1st Battalion fought in Italy with the 1st Airborne Division and in 1944, fought at Arnhem.
1st of December 1939 Attachments
2nd of December 1939 Reliefs
3rd of December 1939 Alert
4th of December 1939 Distribution
5th of December 1939 Inspection
6th of December 1939 Defence Work
7th of December 1939 Defence Work
8th of December 1939 Cold & Wet
9th of December 1939 Defences
10th of December 1939 Defence Work
11th of December 1939 Drainage
12th of December 1939 Working Party
13th of December 1939 Conference
14th of December 1939 Working Parties
15th of December 1939 Lecture
16th of December 1939 Frost
17th of December 1939 Hard Frost
18th of December 1939 Orders
19th of December 1939 Baths
20th of December 1939 Reliefs
21st of December 1939 Working Parties and Training
22nd of December 1939 Orders
23rd of December 1939 Preparations
24th of December 1939
25th of December 1939 On the Move
26th of December 1939 Training and Baths
27th of December 1939 Snow
29th of December 1939 Snow
30th of December 1939 On the Move
31st of December 1939 Reliefs
18th Jan 1940 Reliefs
21st Jan 1940 On the March
10th May 1940 On the Move
 Bren gun carriers of the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment move through Orchies near the Franco-Belgian border. IWM (O 134)
10th May 1940 On the Move
13th May 1940 In Defence 
21st May 1940 Orders
21st May 1940 Planning
22nd May 1940 Attacks Repulsed
23rd May 1940 Shortening the Front
24th May 1940 Air Raids
27th May 1940 Orders
27th May 1940 Withdrawal
28th May 1940 Under Attack
1st Jun 1940 Reorganisation
5th Jun 1940 On the Move
1st Jul 1940 On the Move
5th Sep 1940 On the Move
7th Sep 1940 Stand by
9th Sep 1940 On the Move
1st Dec 1940 On the Move
18th Feb 1941 Training
13th Aug 1941 On the Move
4th Dec 1941 On the Move
19th Dec 1941 Accident
30th Dec 1941 Postings
16th Apr 1943 On the Move
8th May 1943 On the Move
12th Dec 1943 On the Move
1st Sep 1944 Briefing
2nd Sep 1944 Standing by
3rd Sep 1944 Orders
4th Sep 1944 Rain
5th Sep 1944 Move
6th Sep 1944 On the Move
7th Sep 1944 Standing by
8th Sep 1944 Orders
9th Sep 1944 Orders
10th Sep 1944 Orders
11th Sep 1944 Address
12th Sep 1944 Orders
14th Sep 1944 Intelligence
14th Sep 1944 Orders
15th Sep 1944 Conference
16th Sep 1944 Briefing
16th Sep 1944 Orders
17th Sep 1944 In Action
18th Sep 1944 In Action
19th Sep 1944 Attacks Made
20th Sep 1944 In Action
20th Sep 1944 Orders
21st Sep 1944 In Action
22nd Sep 1944 Shelling
22nd Sep 1944 Shelling
23rd Sep 1944 Attacks
24th Sep 1944 Intermittent Shelling
24th Sep 1944 Under Pressure
25th Sep 1944 Withdrawal
26th Sep 1944 Withdrawal
27th Sep 1944 Withdrawal
28th Sep 1944 In Camp
29th Sep 1944 Reorganisation
30th Sep 1944 Enquiries
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Those known to have served with 1st Battalion, Border Regiment during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Aitchison Robert. Pte.
- Ashbridge Albert.
- Atkinson Albert W.. L/Cpl.
- Baron Bernard. Pte.
- Book W. Pte.
- Brooke Charles Sydney. Sgt.
- Bryson GM. Thomas John William. L/Cpl. (d.21st September 1944 )
- Capstick Walter. PSM.
- Coulton Alexander. Pte. (d.10th July 1943)
- Daley Joseph. Pte.
- Ennion Gordon.
- Haddon Thomas. Lt. Col.
- Harland Jillson. Sgt.
- Hodges Fred. (d.18th Sep1944)
- Isherwood Wallace. Pte. (d.23rd September 1944)
- Maguire Joe.
- Metcalfe Edwin. Pte.
- Mullen Thomas. Pte.
- Murphy William. Pte. (d.11th August 1940)
- Rafferty Henry. L/Cpl.
- Rhodes Harry. Pte.
- Sears Stanley. L/Sgt (d.18th September 1944)
- Sloan William. Pte. (d.24th-25th Sep 1944)
- Wombwell George William.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of 1st Battalion, Border Regiment from other sources.
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Want to know more about 1st Battalion, Border Regiment? There are:1409 items tagged 1st Battalion, Border Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Pte. W Book 1st Btn. Border Regiment Pte.W Book served with the 1st Btn. Border Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact with Dan , his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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L/Cpl. Albert W. Atkinson 1st Btn. Border Regiment My grandfather, Albert Atkinson, was captured by a blown up bridge on the Rhine by Germans and interred at the Stalag XIIA Limburg an der Lahn. Prior to this he was involved in the Battle of the Bridge at Arnham, whereby he helped capture 3 bridges.
I have very little information on my grandfather's time during the war but he did write down his experiences in a matter of fact way. He refused to talk about it with anyone and even my father, Albert's son, did not know much about Albert's experiences. All I know is that he was captured at the Stalag XIIA Limburg an der Lahn, POW 91879, but he then 'left the camp with 2 other people' whilst being moved, that's all I know.
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Pte. Bernard Baron 1st Btn. Border Regiment Bernard Baron was at Arnhem and was one of the survivors who swam out across the Rhine.
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Sgt. Charles Sydney "Bob" Brooke 1st Btn. Border Regiment Bob, Charles Brooke served in 1st Border Regiment as part of 1st Airborne Division during Operation Doomsday in 1945, the Occupation of Norway.
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L/Cpl. Henry Rafferty 1st Btn. Border Regiment My Grandad Harry Rafferty was in 1st Border Regiment from 1939 to 1945.
He was shot at Arnham and was a Prisoner of War.
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Pte. Thomas Mullen 1st Btn. Border Regiment My father Thomas Mullen was conscripted aged 20 on 16th October 1939 at the same time as William Sloan at Bitts Park, Carlisle. They went through Dunkirk together and the training in the gliders on the Brecon Beacons in Wales. They were first posted to the Border Regiment Holding Battalion at West Hartlepool on 14th February 1940.
On the 13th March 1940 he embarked Southampton to join the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium, the Regular Soldiers in the 1st Border had been there since 22nd of September 1939.
He disembarked at Cherbourg in France on the 14th March 1940 and was sent to Lille on the Belgian Border then moved on to Tournai in Belgium. He took part in the ˜Phoney War in Belgium. On the 10th of May 1940 the Germans invaded Holland and Belgium. When the Belgians capitulated and the French surrendered was forced back with everyone else to the beaches of Belgium by a larger, far superior and better equipped German army.
On the 10th May the Germans attacked in the West and they moved into Belgium occupying positions round the canal in Tournai from 13th to the 21st May.
On the 21st May the order was given to retreat back to Lille. On the 27th May the order was given to retreat to Dunkirk in a vehicle Column.
He got to Dunkirk on the 29th May as the Stuka dive bombers and German artillery were hammering the town.
He joined the line on the harbour wall but kept running for cover with the air raids and losing his place when he got back in line. They were that tired so decided to sleep in the dunes even though being bombed, as the sand muffled the explosions.
He found a Ladies watch in the dunes?
At that time the French Calvary Horses broke loose on the beach and stampeded which woke them up. He eventually got on a Royal Naval Vessel from the Mole on 30th of May 1940 and arrived Dover 31st of May. They went by train from Dover to Welwyn in Hertfordshire they got kitted out and then off to Crook in County Durham where they arrived on the 5th of June 1940. Then on to Prudhoe in Northumberland on Home detail on 1st July 1940. On the 5th September 1940 1st Border were sent to Ainderby Steeple in North Yorkshire.
On the 7th of September 1940 1st Border was on standby for a German invasion but were taken off standby the next day.
On the 9th September 1940 1st Border was sent to Burghclere in Basingstoke Hampshire. They were sent back to Welwyn on 1st of December 1940. On the 16th/18th February 1941 the battalion moved from Welwyn to Glanusk Park near Crickhowell South Wales training in the Black Mountains.
On the 13th of August 1941 1st Border moved to Llanelli, Wales and in September became part of 1st Air-Landing Brigade of newly formed 1st Airborne Division and were issued with the maroon beret. All had to volunteer or be transferred to other battalions (30 other ranks left battalion on 30th December 1941 being unfit for the new role). In November 1941 there was a Glider accident.
2nd/4th December 1941 1st Border moved to Salisbury Plain and made camp at B Camp, Barton Stacey near Winchester. On the 19th December 1941 a Hotspur Glider crashed at RAF Ringway killing all 18 men. On 29th of August 1942 my father was best man at his sister Catherine Mullen's wedding to Thomas Cox. In October 1942 they were training in Airspeed Horsa Gliders.
In May 1943 the 1st Borders went to North Africa, but my father was pulled out of the Gliders with a foot injury, causing disability being reclassed medically as B7 and sent back to Prudhoe on Home detail. 15th July 1943 he was was declassified from IA to IA Scale D put on Y list and sent back to Carlisle to be put into a reserve unit.
He was sent to London for a few weeks with the LDAC. Then sent back to Carlisle and transferred to 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment.
He embarked for Delhi, India with 2nd Borders on 25th of October 1943 as part of the SEAC (South East Asia Command commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten). In April 1944 the SEAC was transferred to Kandy in Ceylon.
In May 1945 (VE day) my father was still with Mountbatten's forgotten Army who were not stood down till 15th August 1945. He did not get back to the UK for de-mob till 17th April 1946.
He was de-mobbed and he never qualified for a disability pension (or any other pension).
William Sloan was killed sometime around 24th/25th September 1944 at Arnhem. Many years later and shortly before he died, with the advent of the internet he found that every last one of his friends in 1st Border (Airborne) had been killed at the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944, My father was in Kandy, Ceylon at that time.
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Sgt. Jillson Harland 1st (Airbourne) Btn Border Regiment Jillson Harland served with 1st Airbourne Battalion, Border Regiment.
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L/Cpl. Thomas John William Bryson GM. 1st (Airborne) Btn. Border Regiment (d.21st September 1944 ) Thomas Bryson served with the 1st (Airborne) Battalion, Border Regiment. I'm an organiser of the Armed Forces Day Parade of Colours here in the Scottish Borders and we take the Act of Remembrance to small somewhat forgotten War memorials around the Borders, Dumfries & Galloway and Northumberland. Each War Memorial we research those recorded so we may relate a somewhat personal story to our small Acts of Remembrance, perhaps men (or women) that have been forgotten, have no families left or their War Time was of outstanding note.
I'm still researching L/Cpl Bryson GM - but along with the thousands of others, we did not know him, but we hope we Remember Them Well.
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Pte. William Murphy 1st Btn. Border Regiment (d.11th August 1940) Private Murphy was the Son of Michael and Bridget Murphy, of Westminister, London.
He was 27 when he died and is buried in the Tralee New Cemetery, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland.
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Pte. Robert Aitchison 1st Btn. Border Regiment My grandad, Robert Aitchison served with the 1st Border Regiment during WW2. I don't know much, as he never spoke of the war. All I know is that he was captured just outside Dunkirk, then made to walk 1000 miles to a prisoner of war camp, where he lived till the end of the war.
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Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
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When Dragons Flew: Illustrated History of the 1st Battalion the Border Regiment, 1939-45Stuart Eastwood, Charles Gray & Alan T Green
This is a truly stunning book. Over 230 glossy paper pages loaded with both colour and black-and-white photographs, many of them meticulously researched to provide additional explanations, down to who actually features in those photographs. The book details the 1st Borders' run up to Operation Market-Garden, and it's participation in and around Arnhem and Oosterbeek in September 1944, the latter done on a day-by-day basis. This written account features and names many of the characters within the battalion, and the part they played in the fateful battle
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